Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 6.djvu/389

 THE SCOPE OF SOCIOLOGY 375

changing their content at every step : Without association no security ; without security no association.

The principle underlying the institution of sovereignty is visible again in all the phenomena of authority of other types. In matters of belief, social security is found in a prescribed con- sensus of creed, until the associated persons learn to find more security in each other's "will to believe" than in a perfunctory formula of what to believe. Modern liberalism is not a sur- render of intellectual and moral security; it is discovery of more security in voluntary loyalty to truth than in forced obedience to authority. We are not living without security of intellectual and moral sanctions ; we are testing the virtues of different sanctions from those that were relied upon in former times. Today we say that "truth is mighty and it will prevail," instead of saying, "Such and such is the truth, therefore our brute force shall make it prevail." Today our social security in matters of belief is found in the affinity of all men for truth, and their gravi- tation toward agreement about truth, rather than in the power of some men to force conceptions of truth upon others.

The same principle may be illustrated in the case of our industrial order. Whatever indictments we may bring against modern industrial systems, they secure certain definite things and relationships to all members of industrial society. The balance may be unjust and temporary, but while it lasts it is a recourse even for those who want to substitute a different order at the earliest moment. The anarchist agitates for a society in which there will be no police. Meanwhile his agitation has the security of police protection. The socialist crusades for a society in which there will be no private ownership of land ; but he is guaranteed protection of the courts in using the products of his own piece of land to maintain his campaign for its socialization.

Security is a fact, a static principle, a kinetic factor, and a developing ideal in human association. It is not quantitatively nor qualitatively constant, but in some form and degree it is universal. It is both order and a condition of order ; and, for reasons already noticed, it is consequently both progress and a condition of progress.